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A small American flag that’s been on an apartment door since 9/11 has sparked a big battle in Brooklyn between a patriotic lawyer and his persnickety co-op board.

Vincent Romano, a supervisor with the Legal Aid Society, hung the Stars and Stripes right after the attacks seven years ago and vowed to keep the banner up until Osama bin Laden is dead.

But his emotional promise is being sorely tested now that the co-op board has ordered him to remove the flag by tomorrow.

Members told him that if he doesn’t take Old Glory down, they will.

“It’s an issue – that I have a right to declare who and what I am,” said Romano, who has lived in the building since 1992.

“I work for an organization that fights for the rights of other people, and I have a right to declare my own. I am an American and I’m proud of it.”

Calls to the management of the 16-story building went unanswered.

Romano said he put the flag up following the death of his wife’s cousin, who worked at Marsh & McLennon in the World Trade Center’s North Tower. It measures just a foot across, he said, and attaches to his metal door magnetically.

There was no trouble until several months ago, when the co-op repainted the doors. Shortly after that, Romano said, a general notice went out to all residents asking them not to place items on their doors for fear of damaging the new paint job.

If damage to the door is really the issue, Romano said, then his little magnetic flag shouldn’t cause a problem.

Still, Romano conceded it would be an uphill battle. Co-ops are private organizations and generally don’t have to follow the same rules as the government – in this case, heeding the First Amendment.

“When you have a blanket prohibition against it, that really gets under my skin,” he said.